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Duncan Garner: Bitter Bill and the day our next prime minister lost the plothttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87405281/Duncan-Garner-Bitter-Bill-and-the-day-our-next-prime-minister-lost-the-plot
<strong>OPINION: </strong>I got to know Bill English early in my parliamentary reporting days in 1995 when another grumpy Catholic farmer was the prime minister. Duncan Garnerstuff.co.nz/87405281Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Editorial: English should chop the dead wood out of Cabinethttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87396484/Editorial-English-should-chop-the-dead-wood-out-of-Cabinet
Prime Minister-elect Bill English promises renewal of the National-led Government. One place he could start renewing things would be in Cabinet.stuff.co.nz/87396484Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Editorial: Finally, justice for those wronged by Paula Rebstock's inquiryhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87364700/Editorial-Finally-justice-for-those-wronged-by-Paula-Rebstocks-inquiry
Paula Rebstock's inquiry into leaks from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade turned into a disaster and a farce. Now, finally, justice is being done to two senior Foreign Affairs staffers unjustly treated by her inquiry.stuff.co.nz/87364700Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Neil Walter: Public apology puts cap on a serious wronghttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87299585/Neil-Walter-Public-apology-puts-cap-on-a-serious-wrong
<strong>OPINION: </strong>The unqualified public apology issued by the Government this week to former senior diplomats Derek Leask and Nigel Fyfe has been too long in coming but is nevertheless most welcome. It represents the culmination of three years' hard work to clear the names of these two respected public servants following the seriously flawed report by Paula Rebstock into leaks of information during the restructuring of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2012.Neil Walterstuff.co.nz/87299585Thu, 08 Dec 2016 16:30:00 +1300John Goddard: Confusion and lack of clarity around assessing quake-damaged buildingshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87304877/John-Goddard-Confusion-and-lack-of-clarity-around-assessing-quake-damaged-buildings
<strong>OPINION:</strong> The 5.5 magnitude aftershock on December 4 is a stark reminder that earthquakes can occur at any time and can further compromise buildings which have already suffered damage. John Goddardstuff.co.nz/87304877Thu, 08 Dec 2016 09:16:34 +1300Editorial: Now is the time for new policies and new argumentshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87312135/Editorial-Now-is-the-time-for-new-policies-and-new-arguments
Politics and policy come back to life now John Key has gone. Mogadon Man's stranglehold on the voters also sucked the life out of political argument. But the age of minimal changes and fudge-as-strategy has disappeared.stuff.co.nz/87312135Thu, 08 Dec 2016 07:24:41 +1300Editorial: Nobody in National can fill John Key's giant shoeshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87252360/Editorial-Nobody-in-National-can-fill-John-Keys-giant-shoes
John Key leaves a jagged hole at the top of the National Party. None of his possible successors can fill that gap. None have his skills or his odd, blokey charisma.stuff.co.nz/87252360Wed, 07 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Terence O'Brien: Opportunities and potential costs for NZ from global convulsionshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87236634/Terence-O-Brien-Opportunities-and-potential-costs-for-NZ-from-global-convulsions
<strong>OPINION: </strong>It seems incontrovertible that the global future will be affected by the sequence of democratic choices made in Europe and America in the second part of 2016. A flood of opinion and prophecy engulfs us currently about the causes and the effects. Yet It is far too early to predict with confidence the full consequences whether for New Zealand or for the world more generally. Terence O'Brienstuff.co.nz/87236634Wed, 07 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Doug Bailey: Reality used to be a friend of minehttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87193706/Doug-Bailey-Reality-used-to-be-a-friend-of-mine
<strong>OPINION:</strong> It was a defining moment among the many delivered up by the US presidential election. Like most of them it wasn't a good one.Doug Baileystuff.co.nz/87193706Wed, 07 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Richard Shaw: The Year No-one Saw Anything Cominghttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87226941/Richard-Shaw-The-Year-No-one-Saw-Anything-Coming
<strong>OPINION:</strong> When future generations look back on this year they will refer to it as The Year No-One Saw Anything Coming. Not Brexit, not Trump and now â in our own little antipodean way â not John Key's resignation.Richard Shawstuff.co.nz/87226941Tue, 06 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Louise Green: What matters more than Pisa resultshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87218775/Louise-Green-What-matters-more-than-Pisa-results
<strong>OPINION: </strong>Tonight, the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) will release the results of its testing of 15-year-olds in 72 countries, and we'll find out who has the "best" education system in the world. Or not. Louise Greenstuff.co.nz/87218775Tue, 06 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Editorial: John Key's record is mixed, but as a politician he was astonishinghttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87221784/Editorial-John-Keys-record-is-mixed-but-as-a-politician-he-was-astonishing
John Key is a gifted politician who quit at the height of his success. It is said all political careers end in failure, but John Key's didn't, and in that he is unlike perhaps any other New Zealand prime minister.<br> His astonishing shock resignation changes everything in the political landscape. None of his possible successors in National has his skills or his public support. Nor does anyone in the other parties either.stuff.co.nz/87221784Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:50:23 +1300Editorial: After Mt Roskill, Labour still has a lot of work to do in Auckland.http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87145464/Editorial-After-Mt-Roskill-Labour-still-has-a-lot-of-work-to-do-in-Auckland
Labour was odds-on to win the Mt Roskill by-election. In fact it won handsomely, with a large majority over a weak National candidate. Labour is entitled to be pleased at the margin of Michael Wood's victory, but not at the low turnout or the more general lack of excitement during the by-election campaign.stuff.co.nz/87145464Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Jane Bowron: Is the age of enlightenment over?http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87142559/Jane-Bowron-Is-the-age-of-enlightenment-over
<strong>OPINION: </strong>Nothing gets your attention like a knock at the door. There was I lying in my cot mulling over how the world seems to have fallen out of step with itself and wondering of the age of enlightenment really is over, when a rat-a-tat-tat interrupted my maudlin thoughts.Jane Bowronstuff.co.nz/87142559Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Editorial: The state's shame needs a full airinghttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87141211/Editorial-The-states-shame-needs-a-full-airing
<strong>OPINION:</strong> What happened to the children put into state care in the middle part of the 20th century?stuff.co.nz/87141211Sat, 03 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300So much for giddy optimism: Labour and Andrew Little can't bring themselves to speak the language of revolutionhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87140288/So-much-for-giddy-optimism-Labour-and-Andrew-Little-can-t-bring-themselves-to-speak-the-language-of-revolution
<strong>OPINION: </strong>This time next year there will be a new government. And it will probably look much like this one, with the exception of Winston Peters.Tracy Watkinsstuff.co.nz/87140288Sat, 03 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Nick Leggett: Why I've ditched Labour for Nationalhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87077458/Nick-Leggett-Why-I-ve-ditched-Labour-for-National
<strong>OPINION: </strong>I grew up with Labour burned deep into my DNA. Both sides of the family were supporters. Mum worked on Margaret Shields' campaigns in my infancy, and my parents and grandparents kept their loyalty through the tumultuous eighties. Nick Leggett stuff.co.nz/87077458Fri, 02 Dec 2016 10:03:54 +1300Editorial: Labour is moving Right, not Left, and Leggett is no big loss. http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/87093213/Editorial-Labour-is-moving-Right-not-Left-and-Leggett-is-no-big-loss
Labour can't hope to form a government without the Greens. That is a brute fact of arithmetic: Labour polls at about 30 per cent, and there are no signs it could win enough votes to govern on its own. Hence Labour's "memorandum of understanding" with the smaller party.stuff.co.nz/87093213Fri, 02 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Grant Robertson: Better quake support needed for inner city homes and residentshttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87085900/Grant-Robertson-Better-quake-support-needed-for-inner-city-homes-and-residents
<strong>OPINION: </strong>Wellington Mayor Justin Lester has made the call for the strengthening of earthquake-prone buildings in Wellington to be brought forward. As the capital deals with the aftermath of the November 14 shake, I wholeheartedly endorse the need to get this work done as soon as practically possible. Grant Robertsonstuff.co.nz/87085900Fri, 02 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +1300Let violent Wellington rugby teen Losi Filipo do his work as a force for goodhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/87095179/Let-violent-Wellington-rugby-teen-Losi-Filipo-do-his-work-as-a-force-for-good
<strong>OPINION:</strong> Losi Filipo has been to court. He has pleaded guilty. He has been sentenced. He has said sorry. He has paid reparation. He is doing community supervision. He has behavioural courses to attend. He has lost his job.KEVIN NORQUAYstuff.co.nz/87095179Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:01:33 +1300